Secret revealed!

Yes, you can do something creative with CDs!
I've given myself a challenge (I'm doing that a lot lately, aren't I!?), to reuse old CDs in creative and useful ways. Less landfill if I give them a second occupation. ;-)

When Slicer (almost 17yo old) gave me his pile of cast-off CDs I immediately sketched a new set of designs - "The Seasons" I have called them. For now I am just sharing one for you to see - summer - because the northern hemisphere is winding down from their summer, and the southern hemisphere is already gearing up for theirs. Besides, I live in the tropics and it's ALWAYS summer here!

I began by tracing the CD outline onto paper and sketching my design inside the circle. I traced the design onto a 6 in square of fabric, fused a medium weight piece of Pellon to the back, and stitched the design.
After stitching I cut the circle from the fabric 1/4 in out from the line for an exposed seam.
Then I lay the CD on another 6 inch square of complementing fabric which also had Pellon fused to it. I used Basting Spray to adhere the CD to the Pellon side of the square...

...then cut around it, leaving that same 1/4 in exposed seam. I then stitched red ric rac around the drawn line on the embroidered circle.

I made a fabric hinge and lay it across the top of the CD, then put the embroidered circle on top sandwiching the hinge inside. I pinned the pieces together, and blanket stitched almost all the way around, leaving a 1 inch opening for stuffing later. This is the FRONT of the project.

For the BACK, I repeated the process with a second CD and two more fabric/Pellon circles, but without the embroidery. This time you will have the ric rac side on the inside. Then I stitched the other side of the hinge to one of the new CD circles....

...and stitched two circles of doctor's flannel with a ric rac top onto the inside of the BACK.

I sandwiched a little loop from the leftover hinge piece into the bottom of the BACK, then stiched around with the machine to join the two pieces before blanket stitching. (remember to have the 2nd CD inside these circles before you stitch).

I then sewed press-studs to the bottom front, and the front loop, and added a ladybird button. I then stuffed the FRONT with fibrefill and finished stitching the 1 inch opening closed in blanket stitch. Now I have a needlebook and pincushion for summer!!

Now remember, this was my first one, so I have a few things I may do differently with the next one, but I think you get the idea?



Would you like to see more of my tutorials?

I have a special page of them right here!

hugs